New Orleans Saints should target Christian Barmore in 2021 NFL Draft

The New Orleans Saints are entering an extremely interesting offseason. Not only will they be looking for a new starting quarterback for the first time in 15 years, but they will also be looking to reshape their roster without any help from the salary cap.

According to Spotrac, the Saints are currently over $70 million over the cap, leaving them in a tough situation to make any real additions in free agency. On top of this, they have many of their own free agents to deal with this offseason and very little hope of bringing key defenders like Trey Hendrickson, Sheldon Rankins and Marcus Williams back into the fold. Simply put, the New Orleans Saints will likely have a ton of holes to fill in the 2021 NFL Draft.

The Saints hold the 28th overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft and if they lose the players in free agency that we expect them to lose, the defense will likely be the priority for the team in that range. Alabama interior defensive lineman Christian Barmore stands tall as a fantastic target for the Saints at No. 28.

New Orleans Saints 2021 NFL Draft targets: Christian Barmore

Barmore entered the 2020 season with some hype after showing impact playmaking ability up front for the Crimson Tide as a redshirt freshman in 2019. However, Barmore had a bit of a slow start to the 2020 season after suffering a knee injury in camp. That knee injury caused Barmore to miss the first game of Alabama’s season and seemed to cause him discomfort early in the season.

That being said, Barmore shined down the stretch for the Crimson Tide and was an extremely important part of their National Championship run. He has established himself as almost inarguably the top interior defensive lineman in the 2021 NFL Draft class and undoubtedly has the talent to be considered in the first round.

Barmore has an exciting combination of quickness and power up front. He is extremely quick off of the ball and does a great job of using his strong hands to keep the offensive lineman off of his body. He shines as a penetrating player, displaying the ability to shoot the gaps in an instant and make himself thin through the line of scrimmage. Barmore also showcases a lightning-quick swim move that will be a dynamic weapon on the inside at the next level.

With his attacking style on the inside, Barmore is an ideal modern NFL defensive tackle. He needs to work on maintaining leverage at the point of contact, but when Barmore is asked to attack the gaps aggressively, he shines on a consistent basis.

The New Orleans Saints simply must use the 2021 NFL Draft to fill the gaps on their roster. This team is going to lose some key players this offseason and they must do whatever they can to replace those players with good, young talent.

With Rankins likely on the move this offseason, defensive tackle stands out as a major need for this team. Barmore would not only help fill this immediate need, but he would also be a strong value pick at No. 28 and bring a ton of long-term upside.